Central Lancashire City Sub Regional Strategy
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Central Lancashire City Sub Regional Strategy Draft Report March 2006 Reference: P:\PDR\WP04000\Current Jobs\South Ribble\South Ribble\Reports\Draft Final Report\13-09-05-ij(strategy draft v1.2).doc Contact: Iain Jenkinson Tel: 0161 956 4016 Email: [email protected] www.gvagrimley.co.uk +44 (0) 870 900 89 90 The Core Central Lancashire Sub Regional Strategy Contents 1 Introduction 2 2 Characteristics of the Core Area 7 3 The Spatial Strategy 15 4 Sustainable Communities 27 5 Effective Delivery 33 April 2006 The Core Central Lancashire Sub Regional Strategy 1 Introduction Spatial Strategy, Regional Economic Housing Strategy, Local Development Strategy, the Northern Way Growth Frameworks and Local Economic 1.1 The Central Lancashire City Sub Strategies. Regional Strategy (hereafter, the Sub- Regional Strategy, or Strategy) has 1.4 The Strategy is also being prepared in been commissioned by a Partner response to the First Detailed Group comprising Preston City Proposals for a Central Lancashire Council, South Ribble Borough Council Sub-regional Strategy prepared by the and Chorley Borough Council. Joint-Lancashire Structure Plan authorities of Lancashire County 1.2 The Strategy covers the geographical Council, Blackburn-with-Darwen area of Preston, east Fylde, South Borough Council and Blackpool Ribble and Chorley (see figure 1), but Borough Council. It is the view of the it also takes account of impacts across Core area authorities that the First a wider area of influence (including Detailed Proposals do not adequately Blackpool and East Lancashire). The address the key issues facing the sub- intention is that the benefits of this region or the potential for economic Strategy City Region Development strategy can be shared across the growth that clearly exists that would Programme (NWGS CRDP), Regional whole of the Central Lancashire City have a positive impact across the Region. whole of Lancashire. Figure 1: The Central Lancashire City Sub Regional Strategy 1.3 The Strategy represents a medium to Purpose of the Strategy long term spatial strategy for the Core 1.5 The Strategy was commissioned to area, which will inform strategic policy further understand the dynamics of the development at the regional and local Core area. Accordingly, the objectives level. This includes, the Regional April 2006 2 The Core Central Lancashire Sub Regional Strategy of the Strategy have been established IN THE CORE AREA SHOULD 1.7 The purpose of the Strategy is to as: BE REALISED FOR THE inform the development of more BENEFIT OF THE WIDER detailed local policy across South • UNDERSTANDING THE CENTRAL LANCASHIRE CITY Ribble, Preston and Chorley (figure 2). ECONOMIC DRIVERS THAT REGION WILL INFLUENCE THE FUTURE 1.8 Preston Vision was established by the DEVELOPMENT OF THE CORE • GENERATING AND Northwest Development Agency and AREA APPRAISING THE OPTIONS this provides a joint economic vision FOR THE SUSTAINABLE for the future of investment and • UNDERSTANDING THE SPATIAL DEVELOPMENT OF development in the Core area. A DYNAMICS OF THE HOUSING THE SUB REGION IN THE number of priority projects have been MARKET WITHIN THE CORE FUTURE defined of sub-regional significance AREA that will raise the economic output of 1.6 The approach adopted reflects the the Core area as a whole. • RAISING THE PROFILE OF THE sub-regional nature of this Strategy. It CORE AREA WITHIN THE CITY is important to recognise that this is 1.9 The Core Strategy provides the spatial REGION WHICH SHOULD BE not a study of the local authorities in framework that will ensure that ADDRESSED IN SUB- isolation, but more a focus of the inter- opportunities defined in the Preston REGIONAL POLICY relationships and dynamics that define Vision strategy are delivered alongside the whole of the sub-region. The level the principles of sustainable • EXPLORING STAKEHOLDERS’ of detail arising from the Strategy will development. (BOTH INTERNAL AND be addressed at the local level through EXTERNAL) ASPIRATIONS FOR the Local Development Frameworks 1.10 The purpose of the Strategy is to also THE CORE AREA and Local Economic Strategies of the inform the development of regional three authorities. spatial, planning and housing policy. • UNDERSTANDING THAT THE OPPORTUNITIES PRESENTED April 2006 3 The Core Central Lancashire Sub Regional Strategy Figure 2: Strategic Policy Diagram • an in-depth analysis of the nature of the sub-regional housing market, in terms of population and migration flows and the changing nature of housing demand and supply; • an understanding of how the sub- region functions in terms of travel to work patterns and an assessment of the potential for increasing transport accessibility throughout the sub-region; • the generation of a series of scenarios for economic growth and their analysis in terms of the Strategy Approach of the study, in order to understand current housing land supply; and stakeholders views of and 1.11 The Study has progressed over a aspirations for the sub-region; • employment land supply, and the eleven-month period between May spatial implications arising from 2005 and April 2006. Within this, a • an analysis of the key economic these scenarios. number of broad stages have been drivers of the sub-region through undertaken: an examination of key trends and • undertaking of a sustainability an insight into future economic appraisal of the Sub-Regional • an extensive consultation considerations strategy. programme (figure 3) at the outset April 2006 4 The Core Central Lancashire Sub Regional Strategy April 2006 5 The Core Central Lancashire Sub Regional Strategy Figure 3: Stakeholder Consultation Lancashire City Sub-Regional strategy 1.14 ODPM takes the view that the and the preferred option identified in Regional Spatial Strategy has one North West Regional Northwest the strategy, the ’extrapolated past sustainability appraisal and that Sub- Assembly Development Agency trend’ have undergone a sustainability Regional studies should feed into this. appraisal. The advice that comes from Office for Government Office for English Nature the Deputy Prime Minister the North West 1.13 In accordance with European Directive recommends that some SA work be 2001/42/EC, a Strategic Environment undertaken to support the work. Based Environment Agency Countryside Agency Assessment (SEA) is required to on this guidance and on the basis that assess the effect of plans which English Heritage Highways Agency the Sub-Regional Strategy will inform ‘determine the use of small areas at a the Regional Spatial Strategy, which is Lancashire Economic University of Central local level’. In interpreting the subject to the SEA Directive a Partnership Lancashire Directive, GVA Grimley, see the sustainability appraisal was Central Lancashire City Region Sub undertaken of the Sub-Regional Elevate CPRE Regional Strategy has a large area strategy. with no specific proposals. In support Lancashire County Blackpool Borough of the interpretation that GVA Grimley 1.15 This document must be read alongside Council Council have taken, Section 39 (2) of the the evidence base contained within the Planning & Compulsory Purchase Act Audit and Analysis Report and the United Utilities BAe 2004 specifies that sustainability Sustainability Appraisal report. appraisals are mandatory for RSS or Development Plan Documents, however it does state that Sub- 1.12 The scenarios for growth have been Regional strategies are not subject to defined in the Strategy. The objectives the SEA Directive. and sustainability development principles set out in the draft Central April 2006 6 The Core Central Lancashire Sub Regional Strategy 2 Characteristics of the Settlement Geography The strong communications linkage is Core Area reinforced by the proximity to 2.3 The Core area lies at the heart of Liverpool, Manchester and Manchester 2.1 The core area at the heart of the Lancashire geographically and International airport. It is this level of county has a rich historical legacy contains the major conurbation of connectivity by road and rail systems, which it shares with the rest of Preston and urban areas of Chorley, which offers significant potential for Lancashire. More recently, however, it Leyland and Bamber Bridge. further investment and development in has benefited from the development Blackburn-with-Darwen borders the the area. associated with the Central Lancashire core study area to the east and the New Town which left a legacy which Fylde coast to the west. On a larger 2.5 The population of the Core area is has been able to help shape what is a spatial scale, the two conurbations of some 339,600, which is an increase of truly economically dynamic area. Merseyside and Greater Manchester almost 8% since 1981. Preston has Investment in the New Town over a lie to the south and south-east the greatest population of the three sustained period of time has provided respectively. The Forest of Bowland, local authorities at 130,200 (2005). the conditions that has facilitated a an area of outstanding natural beauty The county of Lancashire has a period of economic growth that the lies just north east of Preston, whilst population of 1,293,000 (2005), which Core area is displaying today. the Lake District national park is to the represents a net population increase of north. almost 4% since 1981 (compared to a 2.2 Furthermore, the Core area has net loss for the North West region as a performed an important social function 2.4 The Core area is served by highly whole of –3%). in providing housing for those most in accessible transport infrastructure, need (many from blighted inner-city with Preston acting as the hub for the 2.6 Preston is the dominant centre within areas), providing lasting employment county of Lancashire, where the the Core area, situated on the river within a high quality environment. M6/M61/M55 and M65 motorways Ribble. The Ribble acts as the converge. Preston is served by the administrative boundary between West Coast Mainline connecting the Preston and South Ribble Councils, Core area with London and Glasgow.